Good Again
by Omnicat
Summary: After the destruction of the Great Tree, Mannen, Hajime and Shin want to make sure Sasame is really a good guy again.


**Title:** Good Again

**Author:** Omnicat v''v

**Rating:** (PG) K

**Genre:** General, Angst. Laced with small amounts of Humor.

**Spoilers:** All thirteen episodes of the Prétear anime.

**Warnings:** None.

**Pairings:** Hinting at Sasame x Takako and Hayate x Himeno.

**Soundtrack:** None that I know of. Suggestions are welcome.

**Disclaimer:** Prétear or any money being made off of it isn't mine.

**Summary:** After the destruction of the Great Tree, Mannen, Hajime and Shin want to make sure Sasame is really a good guy again.

**Author's Note:** Set directly after Himeno's awakening, as you'll see. Enjoy!

**Good Again**

They almost couldn't believe it. Himeno wasn't dead! Hayate had kissed her back to life! She was smiling, sitting up... They ran over to her and almost knocked her to the ground again as Hayate was shoved to the side to make room for the three youngest Knights. Himeno returned their overjoyed hugs and kisses with her widest smile, though Hayate didn't look quite as pleased about the barrier of children between them. It was Goh who eventually dragged them off, to 'give Himeno some room to breathe'.

"Tell that to her!" Mannen said, pointing at Himeno, who'd scrambled up to her feet and was now doing the same to Sasame and Takako as he, Hajime and Shin had been doing to her. And then her family washed over her like a tidal wave, leaving Hayate to trail after them like a lost (and quite indignant) puppy. Goh just laughed and ruffled his hair. When Mannen swatted his hand away he scooped the smaller boy up and gave him a crushing hug. Once back on the ground, Mannen swayed on his feet and toppled over when Hajime tugged his sleeve.

"Hey, what was that for?"

Shin pointed. "Sasame is back too."

Mannen's eyes widened and he pulled Shin and Hajime to the ground next to him. They stuck their heads together.

"How'd he get there? He died!" Mannen whispered urgently.

"Himeno brought him back." Shin said, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Why?" Hajime wondered aloud, his eyes worried. "Sasame was a Bad Knight, right?"

"But Himeno hugged and kissed him!" Shin said, tears forming in his eyes as he looked over his shoulder to where Sasame stood, talking quietly with a pale, black-haired lady that somehow seemed familiar. "She wouldn't do that if he was bad."

"How can you be so sure?" Mannen countered. "He and Fenrir fooled us before, remember? They made us think they were nice, while they really weren't!"

"They _were_ nice!" Shin persisted tearfully. Foreseeing an all out bawling session if he didn't do something to stop it, Mannen desperately sought something to cheer the blond boy up.

"I know!" He jumped up excitedly. "We'll test him! Then we'll know for sure if he's good or evil. Come on." And he dragged his 'minions' off.

"Sasame!" The Sound Knight broke off his conversation with Takako and turned when he heard his name.

"Mannen." he said softly. "Hajime, Shin."

The latter hid behind their brash leader, not feeling nearly as confident as him. Mannen planted his feet wide apart and raised himself to his full height.

"We want to know if you're really good again." He swallowed thickly under the much older, much taller, much stronger Knight's impenetrable gaze.

Sasame lowered himself to one knee and looked the three boys in the eyes one by one. "I have every intention to be a 'good guy' again, and stay one."

Mannen, Hajime and Shin gave him blank stares.

"Does that mean yes?" Hajime asked.

"That means yes." Sasame confirmed with a smile. Hajime and Shin cheered and wanted to run straight into Sasame's arms, but Mannen stopped them.

"Prove it!"

Sasame blinked at him. "How?"

Mannen was taken aback. "Huh? Well, uhm, ah..." He noticed Sasame exchanging glances with Takako, who'd stepped aside shyly. "Kick her!" Mannen said, suddenly pointing a finger at the startled girl. "She tried to destroy the world, so she -"

Sasame cut him off. "Mannen! You _never_ hurt a girl, not when she's not an enemy. Do you understand?" he said sharply.

Mannen looked like he'd been slapped across the face. Hesitantly, Takako stepped forward and put a hand to Sasame's shoulder.

"Sasame, please don't... It's okay, I understand why -"

"No Takako." he said sternly, rising to his feet. "The hatred has to end here, today. It would be an insult to all Himeno's efforts if we persisted in fighting each other because of mistakes made in the past."

Tears shone in Takako's already red-rimmed eyes. "And your sacrifice would have been for nothing." she whispered brokenly. A shadow passed over Sasame's eyes. She broke down in sobs and hid her face in her hands. Sasame took her in his arms without hesitation and began murmuring in her ear soothingly, stroking her hair with one hand.

Mannen felt like scum, like he'd kicked a puppy. But he couldn't forget the proverbial teeth marks these innocuous-looking puppies had left. Tears brimming in his own eyes, he cried out: "That's not fair! Telling me what I should or shouldn't do while you are the one who -" He sobbed. "- who blew up Himeno's house and made us hide out in that dank old church and - and - and b - beat Hayate up and made Hi - Himeno cry and made Shin cry and Hajime and - made _me_ cry!" Sasame looked at Mannen, who was rubbing at his eyes furiously, trying and failing to stop crying while his young shoulders shook with sobs. The regret in his eyes was stronger than tears could have communicated.

"There is no way to justify what I have done," he said in a low, intense voice. "I know that, Mannen. Don't think I'll ever forget that."

Takako looked up at him. "I'm so sorry... it's all my fault."

But Sasame shook his head. "It was my own decision."

Goh came up quietly behind Mannen, with Kei not far behind. When he put a hand on Mannen's shoulder, the younger Knight spun around and buried his face in Goh's shirt. Shin let out a wail, causing Takako to let go of Sasame and look back.

"Oh please, little one, not you too." The young Knight of Plants ran up to her and threw himself in her arms.

"Hey, buck up big guy." Goh said, gently stroking Mannen's hair. "It's all over now, remember? And I'm sure Sasame is sorry for all those things. Right, Sasame?"

Sasame looked around his fellow Knights, to Goh's sincere, expectant expression, Mannen's hurt, puffy eyes peering at him from the safe folds of Goh's shirt, Kei, who was awkwardly rubbing a confused and upset Hajime's back, Shin clinging to Takako's blouse and Takako herself, holding Shin to her chest and looking even more guilty than he felt as she fumbled to comfort the boy.

"No. I'm not sorry." Sasame said softly, closing his eyes as if in defeat. "Not for anything. I'm not sorry for abandoning the Leafe Knights to join Takako as her Knight of Darkness. Just like I'm not sorry for helping seal Takako away sixteen years ago." He took a shaky breath. "But I'll never forgive myself for any of it."

Mannen looked up, his eyes wide and incredulous, and wiped his nose with his sleeve. For once, Goh let him. "How can you be sorry and not sorry at the same time?"

"You think about that for a while, kid." Kei said, his eyes unwaveringly on Sasame's down turned face.

"I'm not a kid!"

"'When the heart breaks, a man must live on for his principles, or die a meaningless death.'" the Knight of Light quoted. "Who would have thought _you_ would turn out to be so ruthless?"

Sasame's lips pulled into a wry smile. "The fragments were still alive, beating as wildly as before they were torn from each other. It gave me the foolish hope that I could keep living with one part of my heart by killing off the other."

"_I'm not a kid! _Would you guys talk normal? Stop showing off!"

"Don't worry Mannen, I don't think I get it either this time." Goh said, looking from Kei to Sasame and back doubtfully.

"That, gentlemen, was what we call symbolism." Kei sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Huh?" Mannen cried out in dismay: "But - we still don't know if he's a good guy or a bad guy!"

"As good as he's ever been." Kei said impatiently.

"Yeah, like that says much!"

"You know Sasame is good, right lady? The flowers told me. They were glad when he came back, because Sasame is the only one beside me who can hear them. Are there any of those cookies left?" Shin said tranquilly. Mannen sweatdropped. What use were talking flowers to the Knight of Ice?

"Cookies?" Takako looked confused by the sudden request.

"Shin, you glutton!" Goh whacked Mannen over the head by force of habit. The sight triggered Takako's memory.

"Oh! Those cookies." She looked at Shin with a tender smile. "I'm sorry, those cookies got old. They were yucky, so I threw them away. But I'm sure I can find you something even better in the kitchen. Don't tell anyone, but I have a secret stash hidden beneath the sink." She winked, making Shin giggle. Then she remembered her audience and looked up with wide, guilty eyes. "I - if that's okay with you, Goh, Kei?"

The Knights exchanged glances. Goh sighed.

"Well, you always were good with kids. I still envy you for that, did you know?" Takako's face filled with joy as Goh smiled as her.

She put Shin down and stood up, one of his small hands in hers. "Did you hear that, Shin? Let's go! Hajime, would you like to come too?" she added, seeing his eager expression from the corner of her eyes.

"Yeah!" Hajime cried, and ran over to her, grabbing her free hand.

"Yay!"

Takako led the squealing boys away. Shin grabbed Sasame's tunic in passing, causing him to finally look up.

"Should I bring you some cookies too, Sasame? You'll feel better."

Sasame's anguished expression softened at the innocent words. "Thank you Shin, I'd love some."

"Okay." The blond little Knight tugged at Takako's hand, and with one last glance at Sasame, she led the boys to the house.

Mannen had the rare common sense and discretion to wait until they were out of hearing range before stomping his foot and saying: "No cookies before he passes the test!" He bit his lip for a moment in deep thought. "I know!" And he lunged straight at Sasame's chest. Sasame was thrown back, landing sprawled out on the grass with Mannen on top of him. It took a heartbeat for him to realise what the younger Knight was up to, but when he did, he yelped.

"No, please, don't tickle meeeeek-" He squirmed and tried to flee, but Mannen clung to him like a spider and mercilessly sought out the sensitive spots at his sides.

Sasame was ticklish. But it was common knowledge among the Leafe Knights that you should _never_ try to exploit that particular physical weakness. It rubbed the Knight of Sound the wrong way that he, who was normally so imperturbable, could be so easily reduced to an undignified pile of giggles. Anyone who tried to do what Mannen was doing had to have a very good reason to face Sasame's wrath. Kei and Goh looked at each other and gulped, remembering the last time they'd tried to tickle their silver-haired friend to death. They'd been haunted for days by the most obnoxious music imaginable.

"If he's really good again, he won't try to get back at me." Mannen panted, as if reading their thoughts.

For a moment, Sasame's twitching and shaking stilled as he looked at Mannen with a look of shocked disbelief, and he would have said something along the lines of 'Aw, come on!' if it wasn't for the fact that Mannen was still tickling him. He burst out laughing again and was only barely able to say between gasps: "What about _- gasp -_ running away? Hahagh - What would that - ngigh - what would that make me?"

"A wuss." Mannen declared. He pulled his hands away and jumped up. "I'm gonna be gracious, though. That's enough, you passed!"

Sasame rolled over on his side, clutching his stomach while he caught his breath, his body still shaking from aftergiggles.

"I guess I deserved that, huh?" he said as he finally sat up, sheepishly running a hand through his tousled hair.

"Oh yeah." came Mannen, Kei and Goh's simultaneous reply. Chuckling slightly, Sasame stood up. Or rather, tried to stand up. Hands grabbed his shoulders as his wobbly knees threatened to give in. He looked up to see that Kei and Goh had rushed to his aid. His eyes stung, and he gave them the widest smile in years.

**PSAN:** Yes, I do believe that the ending and aftermath of Prétear is supposed to be a happy one. With everything that has happened, though, it truly took a miracle to make that happen. This is my view on the reality of it. _With_ a happy ending! Look, they're all laughing and smiling again, see? I hope you enjoyed your reading.

If you are in any way a good person you will now review. People who do not review are mean, evil etc. (I'm trying a new tactic to inspire people to review; Dr. Acne's Guilt & Shame Kit. Hm, I wonder if that angry mob outside came with the package...)


End file.
